April 2023

Crabapples (Malus species) are popular small trees closely related to apples but with smaller edible fruit. They also differ in leaf color, growth habit, flowering time, and flowering color. Crabapple trees are fairly drought-tolerant. They are a low-maintenance and versatile tree and often have more than one season of interest. One fault they have in common with apples is that they can get foliar diseases, but breeders have done a fantastic job selecting and releasing to us gardeners some varieties with great resistance.

The crabapple I want to showcase this month is located adjacent to the sidewalk which leads up to the building from the parking lot. This is a Weeping Crabapple and since the name tag has long been lost, I’m not certain what variety it is but it looks like ‘‘Louisa’.

The weeping crabapples comprise a subgroup of the crabapple group, which is itself a subgroup of the much larger Malus genus that includes all apple trees. The weeping group is known for downward-turning, cascading branches that display beautiful white or pink blossoms each spring. The bloom season is short-lived, often lasting just a few days up to two weeks. However, the lush, green foliage and small red, yellow, or orange fruits that the tree produces provide visual interest into the fall and even into winter.

Visit the Botanical Garden from now to the end of the first week of April to enjoy the cascading branches of light pink flowers. Take a few minutes and sit on the rock wall and take in the raining flower petals. This is one of the many joys you can experience at BGO.

Berni Kurz

Director of Horticulture

Botanical Garden of the Ozarks